Filed under: Estates

For the next couple of weeks we’ll be checking out some homes in the most expensive zip codes in the United States, up this day, 60093 . This zip code refers to the town of Winnetka, Illinois. Winnetka is one of the North Shore of Chicago’s older communities and is known as being one of the ideal places to raise a family in the area. This zip code has a median price of $1,790,000 with an appreciation rate of 207% since 1990. We’ve covered Winnetka as recently as last summer as an estate of the day.

Today’s home has the type of wide green lawns and Tudor facade that make up many homes in Winnetka neighborhoods. The home is over 80 years old but has been through a major renovation. It has six bedrooms and new hardwood floors and windows. The wallpaper in the breakfast room is bit suspect but overall the new decor looks freshly sprung from the Pottery Barn catalog. The over one-acre property includes a pool and pool house. This home is listed at $4,490,000.

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Continue reading Most Pricey Zip Codes: 60093, Estate of the Day

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Talking of yoga to relieve pain, a recent article in “SCNow”(an online newspaper from South Carolina) describes how many Baby Boomers have arthritis or will have within a few years. As we get older, our moving parts begin to show wear and tear.

Jim has convinced me to get back into my yoga routine. I’ve had a bunch of yoga videos sitting around gathering dust, some from Gaiam and one from Kathy Smith that includes yoga, strength training, and aerobics for menopause. This one’s pretty good.

Do you do yoga?  If so, what kind?  How often?  Do you go to a class or watch a video?

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Filed under: Estates, Green

Can huge be green? It’s a question that comes up every time we see another huge home aspiring for LEED certification go up. The NY Times profiles one of the most ambitious eco-friendly projects, Windermere on the Lake in North Stamford, Connecticut.

THe private community of twenty-four homes is spread out over 74 acres with a private lake. The model home is approximately 7,000 square feet of gracious living space with five bedrooms, four baths, a home theater, wine cellar and exercise room.

Windermere is being developed by NRDC Residential, a new division of the National Realty and Development Corporation of Buy, N.Y., and will be going for LEED certification. The homes will be built to basic LEED standards. Buyers can also opt for a $100,000 geothermal system that uses an electric pump to transfer heat from the soil to the house in the winter, reversing that process in the summer. Other green features include formaldehyde-free kitchen cabinetry, sustainable building materials, low-VOC paint and carpets and smart lighting.

The homes are available in four basic styles meant to mimic the look of an English village and sell for $3.2 million to $4.8 million depending on size. Many question how green houses of this size can actually be. By nature, smaller is generally greener but if people are going to build mega mansions creating ones that are both attractive and more eco-friendly is at least a step in the right direction. Check out the gallery below for a look at the model home.

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